Day 5

The lesson

1. In his first sermon in Kufa, Mu'awiya disowned the conditions, claimed that al-Hasan had asked for peace and insulted Imam Ali. Imam al-Hasan held back al-Husayn from answering, then rose himself, explained how the peace had come about, and answered the insult to his father by setting out the standing of his family (Tarikh al-Tabari; Tuhaf al-Uqul of al-Harrani). Mu'awiya kept none of the conditions.
2. He gave his reason in his own words: I handed the caliphate to Mu'awiya because I did not have enough companions to fight him; had I had them, I would have fought him day and night until I defeated him (al-Ihtijaj of al-Tabrisi). When Mu'awiya later asked him to fight the Kharijites, he refused: If I were to fight any of the Muslims, I would fight you (al-Kamil of Ibn al-Athir; Kashf al-Ghumma of al-Irbili).
3. Back in Medina he sat in the Prophet's mosque after the dawn prayer until sunrise, and people gathered round him with their questions (al-Tabaqat al-Kubra; Ansab al-Ashraf; Tarikh Madinat Dimashq of Ibn Asakir). He administered the endowments of his father under Imam Ali's will (al-Kafi 7:49-51), and Ibn Abbas, though older, would hold his stirrup for him (Tarikh Madinat Dimashq). His debates with Mu'awiya and his supporters are recorded in al-Ihtijaj of al-Tabrisi.

Questions

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